Silex in Suum Animus
by MilleniumGirl
Summary: o.o; A kind of dark fic about Kaiba. The rock in his soul and his mask hide the real Seto Kaiba, and Mokuba realizes this one day.-One Shot- Please RR! The Latin title means something along the lines of "Rock in his Soul." I hope. Weird, huh?


MilleniumGirl: Hi there! I am in an angsty mood right now... This is a really weird story, but...  
  
Ryou: Heh, a vent, perhaps?  
  
MG: Yeah. Do the disclaimer.  
  
Ryou: 0.0;; Um, all right then, she doesn't own Yu-gi-oh, or this particular scene in that episode, or ANY OF THE CHARACTERS LIVES...  
  
MG: (sighs) If you still want to read the story... please don't flame me afterwards!  
  
..................................

This is a scene from the episode where Joey and Yami Marik duel in the Battle City episodes. I missed this episode, but I have a general idea what happened. I made up a lot of stuff, though, so it doesn't follow the episode much. There's a little bit of Kaiba/Mokuba fluff, but who doesn't like that? :)

..................................  
  
Yami Marik's hysteric laughter rang out against the silence. Joey had no strength to continue. The world was dark for the stiffened bodies watching the Shadow Duel. The familiar melody of hope that rang in their ears had been silenced by the laughter. The evil clung to Marik like a low cloud, raining acid of hate...  
  
Joey's friends, who had always watched him pull through these things with a smile on is face, were horrified. Serenity, who had always seen Joey as a beacon, a rod, a pillar, something strong to rely on, was devastated.  
  
The little Kaiba was stung as well. Mokuba wanted to help. No one should have had to go through that.  
  
You'd think the only one who showed no sign of caring for the fallen body was Yami Marik. But the clouded eyes of Kaiba had seen nothing to feel for. The callousness, emotionlessness, and the hate rose to the surface. He would not feel for Joey Wheeler. It was not something he would waste his time with.  
  
His little brother, however, felt differently. And Kaiba noticed this with anger. Why did Mokuba care about what happened to that mutt? He had it coming. He should never have accepted the duel.  
  
"Seto!" Mokuba said, looking up at his big brother. "We have to help him!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
The word snapped into Mokuba like a rubber band. Why? Was that what Seto had just said?  
  
Kaiba repeated himself. "Why do we 'have to help him'? It's no concern of ours."  
  
Mokuba stared at him. He saw deeper than the trench coat and buckles. Usually. But now, there was a wall of ice. Cold, hard ice. He made a mental picture of Seto Kaiba in his mind. Smiling slightly, caring slightly, always involved, even if he didn't want to admit it. His feelings were buried a little, but Mokuba knew he really cared. Then he looked at the man standing in front of him.  
  
They were not the same person. Who was this stranger?  
  
He was the black granite jutting out of Seto Kaiba's soul. The one obsessed with God Cards, money, appearance, victory, and his company. The one who didn't know Mokuba's name.  
  
This was not his big brother.  
  
Tea was shouting to Kaiba. He did not respond. Joey was not important to him; he was much more interested in how Marik had used his God Card. Marik's soul was a rock. Kaiba's was hardening.  
  
"Who are you?" Mokuba whispered.  
  
The rock Kaiba spoke. "What?"  
  
"Who are you?" Mokuba said more audibly. The logic in Kaiba told him to say his name. But his soft spot realized something was wrong.  
  
"Mokuba, what are you saying?" Seto said, looking Mokuba in the eye. He saw fear.  
  
The rock jabbed deeper.  
  
"You aren't Seto," Mokuba said with a serious look.  
  
Seto's eyes became clear. "What's wrong? It's me!"  
  
"No, you're not my big brother."  
  
"Mokuba! It's me; it's Seto!" he said, becoming a little frantic.  
  
"No. The real Seto would care. You're just a shell. I can't touch you. You won't let me love you."  
  
"Mokuba! Come here..." he said gently, getting down to Mokuba's eye level and holding out his hand.  
  
Mokuba backed away. "No."  
  
"Mokuba, please..."  
  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Mokuba yelled, and ran away.  
  
Kaiba was shocked. His mouth was open. He was about to try to explain to Mokuba, but it was too late.  
  
Yami Marik, cackling insanely and absorbing the power of another soul lost to the shadows, strode into the elevator. His eyes and smile were wide. He thrived off the food of dead souls. But he was always hungry.  
  
Mokuba had no where to run. He would never find his big brother. Seto was gone, but that shell was still following him. Mokuba, his hair flying behind him, ran into the elevator with Yami Marik.  
  
Kaiba saw the evil smile of the man turn towards Mokuba, who looked up at him with an expressionless face. The boy was not afraid of him, but he knew he would not live much longer by standing next to him.  
  
He would have been afraid if Seto were there. Then his big brother could save him. But he wouldn't let the shell touch him. So Mokuba watched with tired eyes as the metal doors clicked together. Then he looked up again at Yami Marik.  
  
"Hello, child," he said, holding out the Millennium Rod. Mokuba made no move to recoil.  
  
"I love you, Seto," he whispered.  
  
When the elevator got to the next floor, only Yami Marik walked out. Kaiba raced down the steps and into the elevator, where he found the still body of Mokuba on the ground. .............  
  
Yami walked into Kaiba Craft 3 a while later to visit Joey. It was depressing to see him lying there, but he should always be there for his friends, even when they could not speak to him. But before he could walk into Joey's room, he saw another door open. He curiously took a step inside, and was shocked to see Kaiba sitting by a bed.  
  
He was even more shocked to see Mokuba lying in the bed. There were innumerable needles and wires coming out of the child, and his face was lifeless and bleak. Kaiba lifted his head when Yami approached silently.  
  
"Yugi," he whispered. Yami turned sharply to face Kaiba, expecting him to start blaming Joey or anyone else for whatever had happened to Mokuba. It probably had "disrespected the family."  
  
"Kaiba," he said. "It was no one's fault but Marik's. I don't know what happened, but don't go blaming the innocent. And don't do anything rash, either, Kaiba! Two of my friends are hurt as well! You can't go through life only thinking about yourself!"  
  
But Kaiba did not say what Yami had expected.  
  
"Yugi," he whispered again. "You're right, it's all my fault, I let this happen to him..." But then he looked Yami in the eye, and Yami saw pain beyond anything he had seen for a long time. "Before this happened to him, he was afraid of me. He wouldn't let me touch him. He didn't recognize me, Yugi!"  
  
Yami paused, horrified. Kaiba must be in torture. The only person he had left had not known who he was, then went and hurt himself.  
  
"His mind is in the Shadow Realm, Yugi..."  
  
Yami gasped. So Marik had gone so far as to hurt a child... Mokuba, being physically weaker, was worse off then Joey and Mai...  
  
"I CAN'T CRY!" Kaiba yelled suddenly. "I'VE FORGOTTEN HOW! What am I supposed to do? I can't help him at all; I've betrayed him, broken a promise... WHO AM I?"  
  
Yami put a hand on Kaiba's shoulder. He could find no words of encouragement. He let his hikari take over, hoping Yugi could do a better job then he could.  
  
"Kaiba..." Yugi said, his voice full of sorrow. "I'm so sorry... you have to let it out, somehow..."  
  
"I don't know how to cry... for Mokuba..." he whispered softly. Yugi, who couldn't stand seeing anyone in this much hurt, walked away, and felt the tears come down his cheeks for Joey and Mai and Mokuba... and Kaiba, too...  
  
Kaiba felt something trickle down his cheek and onto Mokuba's face. He touched it. It was a tear, the only one he had shed for a long time...  
  
Kaiba hated the granite slab. He wished it would erode away. More tears could fall if it did. Maybe his little brother would recognize him again. ............  
  
When the darkness was beaten and Mokuba got better, Kaiba felt life return to him again, he embraced the small body. They made up, and Mokuba was happy to see his real brother. But after rejoicing, Seto Kaiba put his mask back on again.  
  
There may come a day when the mask and rock disappear forever, like when he was a kid, and they did not burden him at all. There may be a day when others besides Mokuba could see through the wall of ice.  
  
But until that day he was Seto Kaiba, the man torn between the goodness inside him and the callus he received from his childhood.  
  
.........................................  
  
MG: (tries to do happy dance but ends up falling over) Um, yeah, that was the odd story. Isn't it weird? That's what I think Kaiba feels like, though. It's unusual, but review anyway, please?  
  
Ryou: No, don't do it, she'll write more like it!  
  
MG: You know what? You're giving my readers bad ideas. And since I'm writing this, I'm going to make you do something.  
  
Ryou: What?  
  
MG: This.  
  
Ryou: The Doorbell rings 'cause you press it, yeah yeah HELP ME I DON'T WANT TO SING THIS SONG yeah, the doorbell rings when you pre-ess that button... AGH!!!!


End file.
